A Mission for Today's Generation
"Never forget!"

That is the unambiguous order that President George W. Bush gave the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the service secretaries in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 that destroyed the World Trade Center complex in New York City and ripped out a large part of the Pentagon. The President repeated that message to his cabinet and, later, to Congress and the American people. His every action since has made it abundantly clear that the commander in chief himself has not forgotten the events of that terrible day, and never will.

Whether that is true of the American people as a whole is not yet quite so clear. For that reason alone it is worthwhile, as the one-year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, to make an honest assessment of the progress made to date in the war against international terrorism and, of perhaps greater importance, to determine what else still has to be done.

From a political as well as military point of view, the first phase of Operation Enduring Freedom already has been a huge success. A new and more democratically inclined government has replaced the Taliban, hundreds--perhaps thousands--of al Qaeda terrorists have been killed or captured, and the movement's economic and political infrastructure has been seriously damaged. The most encouraging aspect of this phase of the war has been the superb performance of the men and women of all of our nation's armed services, specifically including the reserve components, and the armed forces of our allies.

Nonetheless, the war continues--and will in all likelihood become much more complex and more deadly as time goes on. Former CIA Director James Woolsey, one of the Wise Men of Washington highly respected by both parties, has said that the war against international terrorism is likely to last longer than any other in U.S. history "except the Cold War."

The wartime successes on the home front have been fewer, smaller in scope, and not nearly as spectacular as those achieved by the nation's armed forces in Afghanistan. The administration and Congress deserve considerable credit for providing significant additional funding for the military personnel and readiness accounts, and for the Coast Guard--which has played an increasingly important role in homeland defense since Day One. The Defense Department's procurement and RDT&E (research, development, test, and evaluation) budgets also have been increased, but not to the extent needed to meet future readiness requirements. Much bolder action is needed in this area, particularly in shipbuilding.
Elsewhere, progress has been sporadic. Congress is moving with all deliberate speed to create a new Department of Homeland Security, and is considering a number of other measures to improve transportation security, ensure better coordination between and among the numerous intelligence agencies scattered throughout the executive branch of government, and protect critical infrastructure.

All of this is well and good. But there is one thing missing: a sense of urgency. Despite the clear and present danger created over the last quarter of a century by the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction, the United States is not yet on a wartime footing. And, except for England, the other members of NATO--the most successful alliance for peace in all world history--have been even more lackadaisical in their responses to international terrorism.

This is despite the continued defiance of Iraq, the virtual certainty that there will be additional terrorist attacks against the United States--not only at home but overseas as well--and the cataclysmic threats to global stability posed by such "wild-card" scenarios as the current confrontations between India and Pakistan, Israel and its Arab neighbors, China and Taiwan.

In short, although several positive steps forward have been taken, there is still much more that has to be done. The list includes, but is not limited to, the following: much larger short-term increases in defense spending, particularly in the hardware accounts; bipartisan approval of "fast-track" status on Capitol Hill for any legislation related to the war against international terrorism; a further tightening of this nation's air, land, and sea borders and gates of entry; and increased pressure on all members of NATO, and other U.S. allies, to provide more than lip service in the war against terrorism. All of which must be backed by whatever political, economic, and naval/military actions are necessary and appropriate to, as President Bush told Congress and the American people last year, bring "to justice" not only those individuals and groups actively engaged in terrorism but also those nations that harbor and support international terrorism.

The most important weapon in the war against international terrorism is the American people. Sixty years ago Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan learned that there is no force on earth as powerful as the cold fury of an aroused democracy. It is time for our nation's elected leaders, in Congress as well as in the White House, to call on a new generation of Americans to join together in defeating an implacable and hate-filled enemy whose criminal actions endanger not just the United States, but the peace and stability of the entire world.

Timothy O. Fanning, National President